


In Another Life (We Could Have)

by Graceful_Storyteller



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5 Things, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, M/M, Mentions of Terrorism, Mentions of bestiality, Most of these are only passing references, Multi, Nudity, Person of Interest AU, Porn Star AU, Sexual Slavery, Warning to be safe, witch and familiar au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 03:39:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5612542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Graceful_Storyteller/pseuds/Graceful_Storyteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“One of my better bad ideas huh?”</i><br/><i>Pepper shoves him one-handed onto his back, unable to hide her smile.</i><br/><i>“Shut up Tony.”</i> </p>
<p>5 lives Tony, Pepper and Loki never lived and the one they did. Includes <i>Person of Interest</i> AU, Witch & Familiar AU, Porn Star AU, Medieval Slavery AU, Hitman AU, and <i>Winter Soldier</i> spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Another Life (We Could Have)

**Author's Note:**

> This one has spent a long time in the WIP file, but as it's a new year I've decided to push it out into the big bad world for all you froz3npizza people to enjoy.
> 
> Credit for the names of the different parts of Loki's armour and how to take it off goes to:  
> http://amandaforester.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-undress-your-knight-in-shining-armor/

**Person of Interest**

“How long have you known Tony?”

Loki snaps another photo on his telegraphic camera as he considers Detective Potts’ question. “He approached me approximately two years ago with the proposal of a partnership.”

“And how exactly did he phrase this proposal?”

Smirking, Loki replies, “If you are asking me if there were as many guns involved as when you were invited into the operation, then the answer is no.”

“I see.”

Silence descends on Detective Potts’ car as they watch the suspect hail a New York cab. Loki snaps a picture of the licence plate before responding. “To be fair, if you had not pursued me with such determination there would have been far fewer guns.”

“You mean if I hadn’t been doing my job correctly?”

“I didn’t realise fixating on a mysterious man in a suit was part of your job description Detective.”

“It isn’t; but catching criminals is and assaulting people is a crime.”

“Even if those people are ruthless killers?”

Detective Potts sighs dramatically. “Unfortunately even criminals have rights these days, and it’s my duty to make sure those rights are upheld.”

“You are a better person than I Detective.”

Potts releases an amused snort. “You're not setting the bar particularly high there Loki.”

Loki grins even as a voice grumbles, “Is the flirting really necessary?” into his ear. He ignores it, and puts down his camera before turning to face Detective Potts. “Is there a reason why you are interested in my recruitment?”

An expression that is part suspicion, part self-consciousness, appears on her face. “Is Tony listening to this conversation?”

“No,” Loki lies easily.

The detective studies his expression for a moment before sighing. “I was just curious how well you knew him...if you had been partners long enough to know what was going on in his head.”

Loki wonders at the use of the term ‘partners’. Is it that obvious that he and Stark occasionally share a bed, or is she merely using the term in its more general sense?

“He’s a very private man – there are a lot of things he doesn’t tell me.” A true statement that one might argue was actually an understatement. Loki is 85% certain that Tony Stark is not his real name, just as Loki Laufeyson is nothing more than an alias that he has become rather fond of over the last two years. Who Stark was before he became who he is today is a mystery Loki has struggled to unravel. None of the other identities he has so far uncovered have been the original – and Stark is surprisingly careful about dropping hints about his past that Loki might be able to trace. If it was anyone else such evasiveness would make Loki suspicious rather than simply curious, but over the past two years Loki has come to know and trust Stark. He's sure if the information he has been withholding was pertinent to him in some way Stark would share it. And if he's wrong...well, it wouldn't be the first time he'd grievously misjudged someone.

The detective laughs. “You’re one to talk about keeping secrets. We’ve been working together for months and you still haven’t told me how you know when people are in trouble.”

Loki smiles to hide his unease. He’d promised Stark he wouldn’t tell anyone about the man’s marvellous Machine that watches everything and informs its creator when somebody is in imminent danger – or when they are about to put somebody else in such a situation. Stark hasn’t told him the whole story (as usual) but he’s said enough that Loki understands the dangers that come with possessing knowledge of the Machine. His hands are already soaked in the blood of a hundred forgotten faces so it makes no difference if one more covert agency wants him dead, but Potts is a woman with a life. She doesn’t deserve to have this threat hanging over her – which is why he’s told her as little as possible about what he and Stark do. She’s seen first-hand that they help people, and for now that is enough to gain her cooperation in cases that intersected with her jurisdiction. How long this accord between them will last is a question Loki has little interest in learning the answer to.

“What is it about Stark that you want to know?”

She gives him a look that clearly informs him that she knows a deflection when she sees one, but she’s going to let it slide this time. “Do you know if he’s planning to ask me out?”

There’s the sound of choking over the comms, as if Stark’s coffee has gone down the wrong way.

Loki blinks. “On a date?”

“Yes, on a date,” Potts answers with a roll of her eyes. “I know I’ve only met him face-to-face a few times, and that he’s a bit of a recluse, but I definitely got the impression that he wanted to ask me out the last time we talked. He’s not said anything to you?”

“Not a word.” Which is true, Stark hasn’t mentioned any romantic intentions regarding Detective Potts. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t picked up on Stark’s attraction to the woman – something he hadn’t taken seriously seeing as Stark is a little agoraphobic and more than a little self-conscious about the strange device that stops his heart from being shredded by tiny bits of metal. Loki only knows about the device because he has a habit of sneaking up on Stark when he’s showering; and the only reason Stark ever agreed to having sex with him was because Loki consented to letting him keep his shirt on.

“Maybe I was mistaken then,” the detective muses. Then she looks Loki straight in the eye and asks, “Would it be a problem for you if he did ask me out? I mean, I know what happened in that basement didn’t mean anything, but would it be weird if he-”

“I’m a professional Detective; I would not find it weird if you and Stark started having sex.”

Pepper gives a satisfied little nod. “Good to know,” she says as she returns her attention to the building they’ve been sitting on for the last few hours.

In Loki’s ear Stark is demanding to know what happened in the basement, but Loki is once again ignoring him. He’s had an idea and Stark’s misplaced jealousy is not going to distract him from bringing it to life.

“You know,” he says offhandedly, “Stark is bisexual.”

“Really?” Potts replies, and Loki can see her doing the same calculations that he’d done mere moments ago.

“Oh yes,” Loki answers with a wicked grin. “And I’m sure that, given the proper reassurances and safeguards, he’d be willing to pull himself away from his work for a little night-time fun.”

The detective’s expression is purposefully coy as she asks, “And would you be willing to help me draw up these reassuring safeguards?”

“I am honoured that you would ask for my assistance. I will begin preparation on them as soon as we determine who is planning to hurt Miss Lewis. ”

“Let’s hope they reveal themselves soon then.” She stiffens and nods towards the house. “There’s another suspect.”

Loki picks up his camera and returns to taking pictures.

“You’re a real bastard Loki,” Stark mutters over the comms.

Loki smirks. He knows Stark will change his tune as soon as he learns what Loki has planned for him and Detective Potts.

  


**Witch & Familiar**

The foul stench of ash mixed with burning flesh clings to Tony like a possessive lover. His once impeccable hand-made Italian suit is torn beyond repair; he’s lost a shoe and the expensive briefcase Pepper bought him for his birthday. Pepper – Jesus, how is he going to explain this to her? His assistant might have the patience of a saint and a remarkable ability to deal with all the shit that Tony regularly unloads on her, but he’s not stupid enough to think that watching your boss burn down a building full of people to make sure the vampires who ambushed them during a business meeting were definitely dead is something you can just ‘deal with’. Maybe if he’d told her earlier that he was a witch, that over his 150 years of life he’d pissed off quite a few supernatural beings (along with a plethora of regular folk who seemed to hate his guts for some unfathomable reason) she might not have been so shocked when the men they’d gone to meet had suddenly sprouted fangs and developed a craving for their blood. She certainly wouldn't have been shocked by his inferno spell if he’d spilled the beans before that ill-fated party. However, Tony knows deep down that the hardest thing to explain will be neither the magic nor the existence of vampires. Him sealing off all the exits, trapping all those in the building who had been invited to the party as a cover, as a means of luring him into a false sense of security before the big business meeting – that will be the thing that Pepper will most want an explanation for. She’ll want to know why he was willing to sacrifice all those innocent people, why he had left them to burn instead of helping them to escape the monsters and the fire he’d created. The hardest part will be explaining that he values her above the lives of all those faceless humans he couldn't be sure weren't simply _pretending_ to be victims. If he’d let them live and they’d attacked him and Pepper, now or in the future...

Anyway, the sleeping spell he’d put on Pepper when they’d escaped the funeral pyre should still be good for a few more hours – he’s bought himself some time to muster a semblance of an explanation for her. He’s also bought himself time to rest, to order his own thoughts about the night. He has a lot of those, and none of them are particularly complimentary towards him or his morals.

When at last the protective nexus surrounding Tony’s mansion comes into sight he breathes a sigh of relief. The gates open automatically for him and he drives up the long path to the front of the house. He switches off the engine, wearily opens the door and steps out into the crisp night air. He takes a second to revel in the peace before collecting Pepper from the backseat. She’s as battered and bruised as he is from the tussle with the vampires and the frantic dash through the burning building, but somehow she still manages to make it look good. Looking good doesn’t stop her from being heavy and a pain for Tony to carry on his injured leg. Still, he takes to the task with the bare minimum of complaint and cursing, and before long he has managed to bring them both into the safety of the mansion.

As soon as Tony steps into the entrance hall the cat appears. It analyses him with intelligent green eyes that take in every detail of Tony and his assistant’s appearance.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help?” Tony growls.

The black cat blinks. The next second a man stands in its place – the only indication that he was once a cat the golden collar around his neck. The man stalks forward on silent feet, his expression carefully neutral. He steps around Tony and closes and locks the front door, ensuring that all the protective wards are in place. He then returns to Tony’s side and takes Pepper from him. Without a word he leads the way into the heart of Tony’s home. The witch slowly limps after him.

By the time Tony reaches one of the more comfortable living rooms Pepper has already been laid out on a sofa and is currently having her wounds tended. Tony notices that an armchair has been moved so that it directly faces the sofa and that the fire has deliberately been left unlit. With a tired but pleased smile Tony collapses into the armchair and closes his eyes. He drifts for a few minutes, sleep dancing just at the edge of his consciousness, before he is returned to the present by nimble fingers prodding his injured leg. He grunts but doesn’t protest as salve and bandages are applied first to his leg and then the rest of his injuries.

Eventually the dark haired man finishes patching Tony up. He sits back on his haunches and stares hard at the witch. “What happened?”

Tony closes his eyes and lets a flurry of images speed across the mental link to his familiar. Loki hisses, the sound disconcertingly feline. Seconds later there is a warm weight in his lap and a furry head nuzzling his hand. Without bothering to open his eyes Tony begins to stroke the black cat, some of the tension leaving him with the repetitive motion.

_You did what you could_. Loki says at last, speaking to him telepathically.

_Did I?_ Tony sighs.

_Yes_. Loki replies with the utmost confidence. _You did what was necessary to ensure Ms Potts’ safety. And although it may sound callous – any mortal who associates with vampires will indubitably come to a sticky end. You simply made it so that their end came by flame instead of fang._

_But what if they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time? What if the vamps posted an ad on Facebook and they thought they were attending a regular my-parents-are-out-please-trash-my-house-party?_

_The vampires would still have silenced them to keep their existence secret. It’s not like your battle was subtle._

_Most of them, maybe, but one or two might have escaped._

_And grown old haunted by the knowledge that they abandoned their friends. Is that truly a cross you think they should have to bear?_

_Better a cross than to be burnt alive._

_Only a man who has never seen a crucifixion would say that._

Tony opens his eyes to stare down at Loki. Sometimes he forgets that his familiar is thousands of years old; no wonder he’s so good at rationalising the selfish barbarity of humanity.

“You’re my familiar; it’s your job to tell me that I’ve done the right thing, to try to absolve me of guilt.”

The cat watches him with its soul-piercing eyes before returning to nuzzling his hand. _Is it so terribly wrong of me to want to bring a little rationality to the conversation?_

Tony barks a short laugh. He returns to stroking Loki’s fur, his gaze drifting towards Pepper. “I’m going to have to explain everything when she wakes up.”

_Would you like me to be present when you do?_

Tony considers the offer carefully. “Yes. If it looks like she’s taking it badly you can shift into a human as a distraction.”

The cat gives the equivalent of an amused snort. _Yes, why not distract her from your pyrotechnic misadventures with the sudden realisation that she has been flirting with a cat for months? No doubt she will become the embodiment of acceptance and understanding when she realises she has witnessed you engaging in bestiality._

“You were human at the time; it wasn’t bestiality,” Tony snaps. When all he receives in reply is a pleased purr he growls, “You were the one that said you were human before you became a familiar.”

_I lied. I don’t remember what I was first – it is very much a chicken and egg conundrum._

“So you told me what I wanted to hear to get into my pants? Asshole.”

There’s a shimmer and suddenly Tony has a lap full of well-dressed human. Loki wraps his arms around Tony’s neck, his fingers creeping into the witch’s hair and holding him still as Loki presses their foreheads together. “Do not pretend you have always acted with unquestionable virtue when it comes to matters of the boudoir.”

“What have I told you about speaking French in my presence?”

Loki grins playfully. “I apologise Master – it will not happen again.”

“It better not unless you want to be punished.”

Lust burns in Loki’s eyes for perhaps half a second before the emotion is swiftly quenched. “As much as I would love to prostrate myself before your stern hand, I believe that you would be better conserving your energy for the morrow and your conversation with Ms Potts.” Tony opens his mouth to protest but Loki places a commanding finger over his lips. “I must insist, my master, that you rest. I will watch over Ms Potts until either she or you rises, and I will inform you the moment it happens if it is the former.”

Tony glares at his familiar for a moment before eventually relenting. “Fine. But if you don’t get me the _instant_ Pepper wakes then there’ll be trouble.”

“Understood Master.”

Loki gracefully moves to his feet and offers Tony his arm. With a sigh Tony allows his familiar to help him up and then take his weight as they make their way to his bed.

  


**Porn Star**

“Are you sure this is your first job as a fluffer?”

Pepper represses a smile as she hands Loki the bottle of lubricant. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

There is a sharp _snap_ as Loki flicks open the cap. “You’re far too comfortable for a first-timer. Most people spend their first week blushing and avoiding eye contact with everyone. You’ve yet to give any hint that anything out of the ordinary is happening.”

This time Pepper lets her amusement show. “I shared an apartment with the director in college.”

“Ah,” Loki replies softly as he coats his erection. “That explains it. How long did it take Stark to rid you of any trace of modesty?”

“Three months. Three months of casual nudity and surprise orgies left me completely devoid of modesty.”

Loki smirks as he returns the bottle. “Did you ever engage in one of his legendary orgies?”

“Sex with strangers has never been my thing,” replies Pepper. She focuses her gaze on Loki’s fascinatingly green eyes instead of the hand readying him for the upcoming shoot.

“What about Stark? You can’t possibly consider him a stranger.”

“We had a fling in college,” Pepper answers easily. “But he wasn’t very good boyfriend material so it didn’t last.”

“How so?”

Pepper raises a dubious eyebrow. “Do I really need to spell out all the ways Tony is bad at long-term fully committed relationships?”

“I suppose not,” Loki replies with a crooked smile. “You remained friends though?”

“Yes.” She smiles fondly as she glances over her shoulder to where Tony is discussing lighting with the technical team. “He might not be the best boyfriend but he is a good friend. He’s always been there to lend me a hand when I’ve fallen into trouble. Like now that my husband has been arrested for fraud; meaning I’m currently under investigation and all my hard-earned savings have been frozen by the government for an indefinite period of time.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I suppose that is the reason you are here?”

“Yes,” Pepper sighs.

For a long moment Loki is silent. “Stark and I have been sleeping with each other for the past few months.”

Pepper discreetly looks over the toned mile-long limbs and is not the least bit surprised by this news.

“I’m sure you would be welcome to join us.”

Pepper startles a little at that. “I’m married.”

“Do you love him?”

Pepper is sure her silence speaks volumes. Loki’s crooked grin returns as he leans into her personal space.

“There are worse sins than letting loose your frustrations on willing volunteers when your husband is beyond your reach,” he whispers before moving back to an acceptable distance.

It takes Pepper a moment to compose a response to that. “Is it serious between you and Tony?” When Loki only looks at her in confusion she explains, “You offered a threesome instead of a regular hook-up – why is that?”

“You said you didn’t sleep with strangers; I thought I might be better able to lure you into my bed this way.” His smile dims as he responds more seriously, “I think our relationship is the most serious either of us has had in a long time. That doesn’t mean he does not still think of you as the one that got away. Unless you know of another red-haired woman from Stark’s past that he once considered monogamy for?”

For a minute Pepper quietly processes this new information. Then she locks gazes with Loki and says, “Nothing is going to happen until my divorce comes through. You can make your offer again when I have all the paperwork in order.” She cups Loki’s cheek and says, “Until then you’ll have to make do with imagining me riding your cock while Tony watches and touches himself and begs to have your cock back. You’ll tell him to wait but he’ll push me aside and jump on like a greedy whore. Then I’ll drag him off because I miss the way you fill me up, but he’ll wrestle me down and shove his cock in my cunt and fuck me until I’m screaming. Then you’ll come up behind him and shove your cock in his tight ass. You’ll grab his hips and it’ll be like you’re fucking both of us at once. We’ll both come hard shouting your name, but it’ll be too soon. You’ll still be hard so I’ll volunteer, as your fluffer, to suck you off. I’ll get down on my knees and you’ll grab my hair and fuck my mouth until you’re ready to come. You’ll come all over my face and then you’ll have Tony lick it up. You’ll sit back and enjoy the show, enjoy us fooling around, and when we’re finished you’ll be hard and ready for round two.”

With a wicked smirk Pepper takes a step back. Loki stares at her with pupils blown wide and his hands tightly clamped around his thighs so that he does not touch his straining erection. “Stark!” he shouts, suddenly turning towards the startled director. “You better be ready to film! _Right now!_ ”

Tony looks between them before suddenly breaking out into a wide grin. He calls for everyone to take their places and the crew rush to follow his orders.

Loki turns his smouldering gaze back to Pepper. “You’re going to make an excellent fluffer.”

“And when my divorce is finalised I’m sure you’ll make an excellent dildo.”

Loki shudders and Pepper has the feeling he would much rather be shooting straight porn with her than gay porn with the nervous blond being led towards him. She hastily walks away before she can do any more flirting with the naked porn star.

Tony catches her eye and beckons her over. “Made a new friend?”

Pepper glances back to Loki, who is slipping easily into an extremely intimate position with his fellow actor. The sight makes her smile.

“You could say that.”

  


**Medieval Slavery**

“Thor, have you seen my squire?”

“I'm afraid not Loki.” The blond man shrugs out of his helmet, a mischievous grin lighting up his handsome face. “Perhaps you should begin your search among the Army of Whores?”

Loki scowls as Thor's own squire rushes over to exchange Thor's helmet for a goblet of wine. “If your paths do by chance cross, please inform him that his services are no longer required. He may return home to the southern tavern-wenches and too-sweet wines he clearly cannot function without. He can also explain to his father why he thought it wise to insult the king by doing a disservice to his ward.”

Thor frowns. “Loki, don't you think you're being too harsh on the lad?”

Loki's scowl darkens. “I warned him of what would happen the last time he failed to attend me. How will I ever command respect if I fail to follow through with my ultimatums?”

Thor continues to stare at him disapprovingly for a moment before offering the best shrug possible while still in his armour. “He is your squire; do with him as you wish.”

“Oh, I will.”

With that Loki takes his leave, making a beeline through the tents towards his own temporary accommodation. He decides that if the boy has shown _some_ initiative and chosen to await him there then he will spare him the humiliation of being sent back to his father.

Loki is not the least bit surprised when the only living creature he finds inside the tent is his slave. Huffing out an irritated breath, Loki struts over to where he usually stores his armour, removing his helmet as he does so. “Slave, attend me.”

“'Slave' is it? Somebody's in a bad mood.”

Loki turns a dark glare on the man, a snide comment curling on the tip of his tongue, but his slave is already at his side and taking the helmet out of his hands. The man studies the dents and scratches as he reverently places it on the small table beside a bottle of polish.

“I'm guessing your elusive squire has disappeared on you again.” He tsks as he turns back to Loki, his hands moving confidently to the first set of straps and buckles holding the armour in place. “If that boy were a slave he'd get his back shredded by a Cat, or receive a few good kicks to the ribs; but I'm guessing because he's noble-born all he'll get is a stern lecture and a few empty threats. Am I wrong?”

“You are impudent, overly familiar, and have far too high an opinion of yourself for a slave.” Loki sighs. “But you are not wrong Tony.”

A lop-sided smile makes its way onto Tony's lips. He removes Loki's gauntlets and places them beside his helmet. Next are the vambraces – the three pieces of armour protecting him from shoulder to wrist. After the vambraces comes the cuirass, the standard, the four pieces of armour protecting each leg, and the leather arming doublet underneath it all. Tony removes them all with an efficiency and skill that Loki's squire never possessed, and that the slave should not posses after the mere handful of times he has divested Loki of his armour. It makes Loki wonder at the life his slave led before Loki won him in a game of cards.

When Loki has finally been stripped bare Tony steps back and brazenly admires his work. “Shall I ready your sponge bath now My Master? No, wait, wine first.”

The slave steps to the side and pours a goblet of wine from the waiting carafe. He hands it to Loki, who drains it and returns it for more. He savours his next sip upon realising it is the good wine – the one he had tried to hide from the other lords.

“By the way, if Fandral's squire asks can you tell him that the wine tasted like piss? It was the only way I could convince him to relinquish his claim.”

Loki raises a questioning eyebrow. Tony grins.

“I use to pick the foulest wines available for my previous master. They haven't cottoned-on yet to the fact that I _don't_ dream about you drowning in a pool of your own vomit.”

“Charming.”

Tony shrugs. “Makes manipulating people into giving me what I want much easier than if I was constantly spouting your praises.”

Loki considers the contents of his goblet for a moment. “That is fair enough, I suppose.” He takes another sip before making his way over to where a wooden stool stands alone in the corner of the tent. Loki waits beside it as Tony disappears outside, returning a few moments later with a bowl of water. The slave places the bowl carefully onto the stool and reaches for a bathing cloth. Slowly, he dips the cloth into the bowl, wrings out the excess water, and applies it to Loki's skin. Loki sighs, a smile playing across his lips as the heat seeps deep into his sore muscles. _Much_ better than the icy battlefield shower he knows most of his fellow nobles will receive from their squires and slaves.

“Ah, you are too good to me Tony.”

“There are others who say it is the other way around,” the slave murmurs as he carefully removes the dried sweat from his master's back.

“That is because those fools do not know their heads from their asses.”

Tony smiles as he continues to gently caress Loki's skin. With another sigh Loki's eyes slip shut, his body leaning unconsciously into the caress.

In time the bathing becomes more...erotic. Tony drags the rag across skin that should be clean by now with a deliberateness that makes Loki uncomfortably aware of every inch travelled. Then he leans in, as if to inspect a particularly persistent stain, and his warm breath upon Loki's damp form causes the man to shiver.

“Cold Master?”

Loki's eyes open as those wonderfully calloused hands slide to his waist and use him as an anchor as Tony falls to his knees. The slave looks as if he is attempting to school his features, but he cannot stop a mischievous grin from breaking through his innocent façade. He deliberately meets Loki's gaze as he drags his hands down the nobleman's thighs, the nails lightly grazing his skin, before gently pushing his knees further apart. Loki takes another swig of wine and widens his stance. Tony's eyes sparkle and Loki knows he's in trouble when the cloth moves back up his thigh towards his genitals. Luckily (or not) that is the one place Tony refuses to place his teasing touches.

“You are a terrible slave,” Loki growls eventually.

“How so?”

“You are not supposed to enjoy bathing your master.”

“Who says I'm enjoying this?”

Raising an eyebrow Loki looks pointedly at the sizeable bulge in Tony's trousers.

“Okay, maybe I am. But I'm not the only one.”

A thumb swipes across the head of Loki's cock, causing him to hiss in delicious agony. “Are you insane or do you no longer wish for me to keep the oath I made to you?”

Tony's hands still against Loki's thighs. Their eyes meet, and the nobleman takes note of the seriousness in his slave's gaze. “You've been good to me Loki. Even before I was made a slave there weren't many who...who showed me the respect you do. And for that reason I want you to break your oath.”

Loki shivers – at the implications of Tony's words and the darkness in his eyes.

“Are you certain? You know if I do I will treat you as the slave you were presented to me as. I will not be kind.”

Tony licks his lips nervously, doubt briefly crossing his features before being unceremoniously quashed. “I know. But I also know you'll stop if I ask.”

“Do you?”

“Yes,” Tony answers, more certain now. “I'm pretty sure the kind of person who makes an oath not to touch their sex slave even when they're being deliberately provocative is the kind of person who stops when their partner tells them to.”

Ah, so Loki hasn't been imagining things. Tony _had_ been purposefully flirting with him this last week. He'd assumed the man was doing it unknowingly, or in an attempt to test the boundaries of Loki's control. He'd done that when he first came into Loki's service – he'd thought the nobleman was playing a game and done everything in his power to undermine it. Luckily for him Loki is use to having his patience tested by headstrong idiots.

Threading his fingers into Tony's hair, Loki tilts the man's head back until he can clearly see the rapid fluttering of the pulse in his neck. “I will ask once more Tony: is this what you truly desire?”

Tony swallows, but his pupils are blown wide with lust. “Yes.”

Loki bites back a groan caused by the rush of power he feels at having Tony submit so beautifully for him. He pushes Tony's head towards his groin and purrs, “Then, my handsome slave, use your mouth as it was intended.”

Tony obeys, and Loki drops his goblet in surprise.

“ _Mother have mercy_ ,” he swears, one hand gripping Tony's shoulder desperately, the other flexing uselessly against the man's skull as Tony practically _devours_ him. He feels Tony grin around his length, his own hands further parting Loki's thighs so that he can move closer. Against his will Loki finds himself moaning like a desperate whore whilst reassessing his ability to keep the other oath he had made to Tony all those weeks ago. “ _By the Old gods and the New_ , I think I will have to keep you when this thrice-damned campaign is finished.”

“Ahem.”

Startled, Loki whips his head towards the entrance to the tent. His stomach plummets when he sees his wife staring disapprovingly at him. “Pepper? What are you-”

“The King decided to send the Valkyries as reinforcements and I chose to join them now that my mandatory recuperation period has ended. I thought it might give us an opportunity to rekindle our bond away from the scrutiny of court.” Her disapproving gaze drops to Tony, who may no longer be touching him but is in no less of a compromising position. “Apparently it was a wasted journey.”

“Pepper, let me explain-”

“Explain what? From where I'm standing the situation doesn't require much explaining.”

Glancing down, Loki sees her point. Tony's slave-brand is clearly visible, no matter how invisible his expression conveys he wishes he was right now. Sighing, Loki gently nudges Tony to turn around. He resists and Loki pushes a little harder.

“Tony's not my sex slave Pepper. Ask him and he'll tell you so himself.”

“Is that so?” Pepper asks sceptically.

“Yes.”

Loki glares down at Tony, willing him to offer assistance. The man gives him his own dirty look, but reluctantly swivels around on his knees to face Pepper. “It's true my lady. My life was placed in your husband's hands so that my previous master could settle his gambling debts. Your husband did not want a slave so offered to free me. I refused his offer, seeing as there's a war going on out there and the likelihood is that I'd be taken as somebody else's slave. I thought it might be more beneficial to my health to stay with the master who didn't want a slave rather than be captured by one who did.”

“So you are a slave,” Pepper states, clearly not convinced.

“Only to keep up appearances. Your husband has sworn an oath to release me whenever I ask it of him.”

“I also swore I would not touch him unless he wished it.”

“And he wished it did he?”

When Tony doesn't answer Loki and his wife both turn to look at him. The man winces. “Yes my lady. I...encouraged him to break his oath.”

Tony looks as if he's waiting for a blow. Perhaps he is, Loki muses; perhaps his previous mistress liked to take her frustrations with her husband out on him.

Loki resists the temptation to smile. “Relax Tony. My wife is angry because she thinks I've been engaging in slavery, a practice she abhors, behind her back. Finding me with other men does not surprise her in the least. Although usually I invite her to watch – she has quite the voyeuristic streak you know.”

“Loki,” Pepper snaps.

Loki pins her with his own disapproving gaze. “I am trying to put him at ease. The only reason he has not yet made some lewd comment himself is because he believes you will strike him for it.”

“He's not wrong,” Tony mumbles, head bowed so that he does not have to meet the Valkyrie's gaze.

Pepper's expression softens. “I'm not going to hurt you. My husband on the other hand...”

Loki holds up his hands in a placating gesture and makes his way towards Pepper. “Would it sate your ire if I apologised for attempting to bed a man without consulting you first?”

“I know you won't mean it, so no.”

“What if I was on my knees when I made the apology?”

Pepper's expression wavers. “Keeping a slave for noble reasons is still keeping a slave.”

“Then I will release him and make him my squire. I was intending on dismissing my old one anyway.”

“That will ruffle a lot of feathers.”

Loki sighs. “Yes, the things I do for love.”

Pepper rolls her eyes, but her smile is fond as she moves in to kiss him. Loki places his hands on her waist, hoping to add a further distraction – but his wife knows him well enough to step back out of his reach. “Don't think you can win my forgiveness that easily Loki Laufeyson. I just walked in on my husband being pleasured by the sex slave he promised me he wouldn't acquire when he went off to play war with his friends. Any other Valkyrie would have taken your balls by now.”

“That is why I didn't marry any other Valkyrie. And I fully intend to do whatever you desire to earn your forgiveness. But first I think it might be prudent to give Tony a task he can complete while we deal with our marital issues?”

“Yes please,” Tony says instantly.

Loki smiles at the eager response. Pepper watches them both thoughtfully before replying, “You could help my handmaiden with the horses...”

Tony scrabbles to his feet, offers a bow and a deeply grateful, “Thank you!” before rushing from the tent. Loki watches him leave before returning his attention to his wife.

“He'll be skittish and quiet for a few weeks, but once he realises you won't punish him for every sarcastic comment he makes I'm sure you'll become the best of friends.”

Pepper gives him another considering look. “And are you his friend?”

Loki takes a moment to consider that. “In public I treat him as I would any other servant at court. In private though... Yes, I believe what we have could be called friendship.”

Pepper nods. “We will talk more about this.” She steps closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. “But later. Right now I wish to say hello to the husband I have not seen in months.”

Loki grins. “Hello wife. I have missed you.”

“And I you husband. Now peel me out of this armour so that you can greet me properly.”

“With pleasure.”

  


**Hitman**

“Virginia Potts?”

Pepper’s hand tightens around her coffee mug. Apart from that she gives no other sign that she recognises that name.

Returning the mug to the table, she offers a bland smile to the man standing over her. “I’m sorry; you must have me confused with somebody else.”

“No, no – I’ve done my research and I’m pretty sure that’s your name. Or it was your name. What do you go by now? When you’re not on the job I mean – or do you put Sigyn on your tax returns as well as your hit-lady resume?”

The smile drops from Pepper’s lips and her eyes turn hard. She stands and collects her purse, but before she can complete her exit a hand lands on her arm.

“Whoa there, no need to leave,” the man says disarmingly. “I only want to talk.”

“I surmised that was the case Tony Stark, cyberterrorist for hire,” Pepper replies calmly. “If you hadn’t wanted to talk you would have sent somebody else to get their hands dirty. The fact that I’m still breathing suggests you want to talk business, which is why we are both leaving. This place is far too public to discuss anything of importance.”

Stark smiles. “You’re as good as they say,” he murmurs as he releases her arm.

Pepper offers him a cutting smile before turning on her heel and exiting the small café. Stark follows her, keeping a respectable distance until they leave the busy street and enter the park. At that point she shortens her stride and allows him to catch up.

“How did you find me?” Pepper asks once she has ascertained they are being neither followed nor watched.

“With a great deal of persistence and determination,” Stark answers, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark jeans. “I must commend whoever tried to erase your existence; it’s taken me a hell of a lot longer to get to this point than I’d anticipated.”

“You can keep your praise; the fact that you got here at all will be taken as an unappreciated slap to the face.”

“It shouldn’t be. I’m the best at what I do; if I really put my mind to solving the unsolvable mysteries of the universe I always succeed, eventually.”

“And why did you put your mind to cracking this particular mystery?”

Stark blows out his breath through his teeth, as if admitting why he has sought her out pains him. “Because I need yours and your husband’s help.”

Pepper raises an incredulous brow. “If you want to hire us there are far easier ways to do it than by tracking down my birth name. I think ASGARD even has a website nowadays-”

The furious shaking of Stark’s head cuts her off. “I couldn’t go through ASGARD. The people I need protecting from would know I was onto them if I asked for aid by any of the conventional methods.”

“So you track down the birth name of someone you know is a contract killer in the hopes that they’ll be so worried that their secret is out that they’ll protect you from harm instead of putting a bullet in you the second they’ve led you somewhere quiet and deserted?”

Stark jerks to a halt. “The park isn’t deserted.”

“No,” Pepper concedes, “but it is quiet. I could quite easily kill you and leave before the police arrive.”

“I have all the data I collected on you set to a timer. If I don’t get back home by midday tomorrow the information will be sent-”

“You think I don’t know people who can find your secret files and destroy them before the time runs out?” Pepper pulls her gun out of her purse and removes the safety.

Stark starts to panic. “That wouldn’t be in your best interest. I’ve hacked ASGARD and I know they’re planning to burn you and your husband-”

“And why would they do that? Our mission success rate is 100% - they have no reason to burn us.”

“Except that's exactly _why_ Odin plans on burning you. The two of you together make such a great team that he's starting to feel threatened by your partnership. Why do you think your husband's been sent on so many solo missions lately? Odin was hoping he'd slip up and show that he's fallible or, better yet, get himself killed. Instead he's proved himself to be the threat Odin imagined him to be; and by refusing to partner with another agent while he was on assignment you've proven that you're more loyal to him than to ASGARD. That's why the old man is organising a kill order on both of you as we speak.”

“I don't believe you.”

“Why not? Is it because you think Odin is too noble to burn his agents?”

“That's not it.” Pepper and her husband have assassinated more than one ASGARD agent who was incompetent enough to get caught by the authorities – she can understand Odin wanting to punish failure, but would he really turn on them because of their success? Knowing Odin it wasn't something completely beyond the realm of possibilities, but that still didn't mean it had to be true. “I don't believe you because I don't see what you have to gain by telling me this.”

Stark's expression is more defiant than scared as he says, “Odin knows my reputation. He knows I'm a narcissistic asshole with genius-level intelligence and a gift for technology. He came to me after the people who want me dead put a hit out on me. He said he'd make it go away if I agreed to become the new Loki.”

Without thinking Pepper pistol-whips the man in front of her, sending him sprawling to the ground. “You could never be Loki. You might have skills but you don't have the stomach to do what he does.”

“You're right,” Stark says, rubbing his jaw. “That's why Odin wants Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow herself, to be my Sigyn.”

Pepper's hand trembles just the slightest bit as she lets Stark's words flood through her system. What a team Romanov and Stark could be with the right training, the right guiding influence. Could they be the next Loki and Sigyn? Could Stark be telling the truth? Maybe. If Odin had the right leverage, if he thought he could build a team that was just as effective as the current one that didn't yet threaten his position of power, then she could see it being true. There was just one thing that bothered her.

“Does anyone else at ASGARD know about this?”

“No. This is all Odin. He wants it to look like a domestic dispute gone bad. Ideally you both end up dead; if not one of you will end up running with a target on their back. It's the only real way he can swing it without someone suspecting foul play.”

“What if we both survive?”

“Then he finds someone to blame for the intelligence leak and the attempted hit. He hopes you get distracted by revenge and don't look too closely at the situation; but if you do then he provokes you into attacking him so that he can claim you've both gone rogue. When it comes to choosing sides which way do you think your fellow mercenaries are going to go?”

He has a point. Loki has never been much liked by most of ASGARD and she has been tainted by her association with him. If Odin proclaimed them traitors and put out a kill order the only question most of her fellows would ask would be 'How do you want it done?' Others would be less hasty to disown them, but none would dare to turn on Odin. It would be Pepper and Loki against the world – old enemies and former comrades fighting for the right to mount their heads on their wall. The two of them might be able to survive it all, but they'd constantly be hiding and looking over their shoulders. More so than they already do. That isn't the life Pepper wants, and she's willing to take a chance on this stranger to make sure that future never happens.

“Say that I believe you: what would you suggest to stop all this coming to pass?”

Stark grins, his confidence returning as he climbs back to his feet. “We form an alliance. I help you show the rest of ASGARD that Odin is a conniving bastard and you keep me safe from all the people trying to kill me.”

“You have proof of this plot? Other than your word?”

“I wouldn't have spent hours searching for your birth name if I didn't.”

Slowly, Pepper clicks on the safety and returns the gun to her purse. “I'll want to see this proof.”

“Give me a secure computer and I'll happily give you the virtual tour of the evidence.”

“I can get you one of those.” A wicked smile makes its way onto her lips. “It's back at my house. With my husband.”

Panic briefly flashes in Stark's eyes. “Perhaps you better give him a heads up that we're coming. And tell him not to shoot me.”

Pepper laughs as she pulls out her phone. “I make no promises.”

 

**The One They Lived**

A philosopher once said that our greatest strengths are also our greatest weaknesses. Or maybe that's just what people misquote him as saying. Either way, in moments like these (when his libido has been quelled and the blood that more treacherous parts of his anatomy had been holding hostage is finally returned to his brain) Tony Stark can quite easily appreciate the truth behind the sentiment. Some of the impulsive decisions he's made over the years have quite literally saved his life. If he didn't possess the ability to improvise, to think on his feet, he would surely have been murdered by _somebody_ by now. Similarly, what Agent Romanov once diagnosed as his 'self-destructive tendencies' are responsible for New York City narrowly dodging becoming a radioactive hole in the ground. And don't get him started on how his 'textbook narcissism' has led to the creation of his business empire and a new technological revolution. Still, Tony is self-aware enough to know that while these character traits have helped him achieve greatness in the past, they've also conspired together to cause some of his more memorable fuck-ups. And this? This might just fall into that last category.

“Pepper?”

Beside him Pepper makes that half-awake noise that most people make when their post-orgasmic bliss is disturbed. A small smile curves Tony's lips as he turns onto his side and caresses the skin of her bare back. This time the sound that passes her lips is one of contentment, and when she opens her eyes she meets his smile with one of her own. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

Her eyes flutter and Tony begins to wonder if now is the right time to be talking about morality and consequences and other weighty topics.

“You're beautiful.”

She laughs softly and replies, “You're not too bad looking yourself.”

His grin grows and he concludes that, yes, this is the wrong time to start questioning what is done and cannot be undone. He falls onto his back and closes his eyes. “Sorry I disturbed you. Go back to sleep.”

For a moment the only sound Tony hears is the patter of water on tile emanating from the en-suite. Then Pepper sighs, resigned, and says, “What's wrong Tony?”

“Nothing's wrong.”

“Tony.” The reprimand lacks bite but there is definitely weight behind it. “I know you. Talk to me.”

For a second Tony contemplates continuing to deny that there's a problem. Then he rolls back onto his side and asks, “Was this a bad idea?”

Another sigh. “I don't know.” Pepper takes his hand and squeezes it affectionately. “But if it was, it was one of your better bad ideas.”

Tony mirrors the smile given to him. “Thanks. But I have to say: if anyone's to blame for this it's you.”

“ _Me?_ ”

“Well yeah. You were the one who said we should try a threesome-”

“Only after _you_ suggested it.”

“I was joking! You should have known that I wasn't serious-”

“Of course you weren't; why would any man want to discuss seriously their failure to sexually satisfy their-”

“It's not my fault Extremis messed with your libido!”

“You helped create it!”

“I think 'helped' is a strong-”

“And you promised to get it out of me-”

“I did get it-”

“Then how come I agreed to something as reckless and short-sighted as having a threesome with _Loki_?”

She's got him there. Pepper pre-Extremis would never have entertained the idea of a threesome, let alone one with a supposedly deceased would-be alien conqueror. Yet here they are, post-coitus, with Loki showering in the next room.

“Okay, so maybe I didn't do as good a job at removing Extremis as I thought. The fact still remains-”

“You were also the one who invited him to join us.”

“How was I supposed to know it was him?! That party was supposed to be Stark Industries employees only! Seriously, one of us is going to have to talk to Happy about how he polices these things because-”

“And I don't recall you being all that insistent that he leave when you did find out who he was.”

“Excuse me for not being a little bit surprised and curious as to how he wasn't dead! You weren't exactly demanding he leave either!”

“I'm not the one he threw out of a window and who also has access to a suit that can actually _hurt_ a god.”

“You would if you let me build you one-”

“Tony we are not having that conversation now!”

“Yes we are!”

A polite cough catches their attention. Leaning against the now-open bathroom door, hair still wet from his shower and covered only by the dark towel tied loosely around his slim waist, Loki looks unfairly gorgeous. He also looks highly amused. “Apologies for the interruption, but I believe it is considered rude in your culture to argue in front of guests.”

Fighting a smile, Tony delivers a quick-fire quip of his own. “That rule kinda went out the window as soon as you took your clothes off.”

Loki's grin grows as his eyes travel over Tony's entirely nude form. “I am unfamiliar with these social protocols you mortals follow when stripped bare. You will have to instruct me...”

The would-be alien conqueror takes a graceful step forward, tugging at the knot in the towel around his waist with just enough force that it falls to the floor almost of its own volition. Tony tries his best to keep his gaze locked with Loki's, but his traitorous eyes are drawn down (like iron filings to a magnet) to what the discarded towel was previously concealing.

“However, I think we shall leave that lesson for another time.”

Tony's gaze snaps back to Loki's laughing eyes as the man bends down to retrieve the underwear Pepper had earlier thrown halfway across the room. Loki steps into the silk underpants with all the poise of a well-trained model or, well, of mythical royalty. Then he reaches for the shirt Tony remembers peeling off his shoulders and continues dressing in a manner that should not be as interesting to watch as it is.

Tony has the presence of mind to check on Pepper during this captivating performance and finds that her thighs are pressed against her chest, her arms wrapped securely around her calves. If it weren't for the slightly glazed expression he'd be worried that she was silently panicking over this new development; as it is he guesses the only thing she's suffering from is lust mixed with reflexive modesty – something Tony knows very little about.

The last item of clothing Loki retrieves from the threshold of the bedroom is his bow tie. He gives the article a fond smile, places it in the pocket of his jacket, and turns toward the bed. “I thank you both for the use of your shower and for a truly diverting evening; we really must do it again some time.”

“What, that's it?”

Loki frowns in confusion at Tony's remark. “What else is there? From the lethargy of a moment ago I would imagine that neither you nor Lady Potts shall be ready to return to carnal activities for quite some time. Do you expect for me to wait patiently in your bed until then?”

“No, no – that's not what I meant,” Tony tries hurriedly to explain – because although he is not against the idea of going for another round in a few hours he is well aware of just how much of a logistical nightmare that would be. Having sex with a dangerous extraterrestrial criminal is one thing, but falling asleep beside one is an entirely different entity. He has absolutely zero desire to discover whether or not Loki is a cuddler. “What I was trying to say was: what happened to that conversation you wanted to have? You know, the reason you approached me in the first place? In a way that I considered an attempt at seduction might I add.”

“Seduction was not my intention,” Loki says, his tone more than a little contemplative. “And our conversation can wait. It is something that should take place under different circumstances than these.”

“You sure? Whatever you've got to say must be pretty important to pull a 'Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated' and risk having the full might of humanity's military and Point Break's hammer coming down on your pretty head.”

Loki's eyes narrow at the mention of Thor. “I have done my research Tony Stark. Thor is too busy on the other side of your planet cavorting with his mortal to notice anything other than a full-scale invasion. And as for the might of Earth's military – I believe you are the greatest unifying agent now that SHIELD has dissolved into civil war and desertion, and something tells me you will not be hasty in revealing my secret. After all the hard work that has gone into creating your good name it would be such a shame to see it tarnished by an indiscretion such as the one which has occurred this night.” Loki's smile is all teeth as he continues, “So as you can see, I am not overly worried that the Nine Realms will soon know that 'Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated'. I am certain you can maintain your silence until after you have heard what I have to say.”

“You overestimate his impulse control,” Pepper mutters quietly enough that Tony should be the only one to hear it.

Loki's smile becomes a little more sincere. “Perhaps. A more cautious man would definitely view tonight as testament to that fact. Luckily for you I am in the mood to throw caution to the wind.”

“Mind-blowing sex will do that to you.”

The last of the tension leaves Loki's frame as he laughs and turns mischievous eyes upon them. “Farewell Stark, Lady Potts. May you keep your health until next we meet.”

With that he turns and heads for the bedroom door.

“What, no puff of smoke and vanishing act?”

“Make an appointment next time!”

Tony and Pepper look at each other as the door closes. They descend helplessly into giggles, exhaustion and the surreality of the situation making their simultaneous replies far more amusing than they should be. Only when JARVIS reports, more than a little disapprovingly, that Loki has vacated the premises do the two of them fall silent.

“One of my better bad ideas huh?”

Pepper shoves him one-handed onto his back, unable to hide her smile.

“Shut up Tony.”


End file.
